Medical marijauna shop regulations raise questions

Medical marijuana shops in Weymouth would have to be located 500 feet away from a school, day care, playground, park or any area where children gather under a new zoning amendment proposed by the planning board.

Medical marijuana shops in Weymouth would have to be located 500 feet away from a school, day care, playground, park or any area where children gather under a new zoning amendment proposed by the planning board.

The licensing board of commissioners would be responsible for approving licenses for operators of medical marijuana shops under a proposed ordinance by the health department.

Residents and town councilors gave varying opinions on the proposed zoning amendment and ordinance during a combined public hearing between the council and the planning board May 19. Mayor Susan Kay said Weymouth couldn’t ban medical marijuana shops because voters statewide approved a referendum in 2012 to allow the dispensaries.

“Since this is new to Massachusetts, I gathered the appropriate staff together to decide how to implement this law in the best interest of the town,” Kay said. “It involved the police, the planning department, legal, (town solicitor) and the building department. Based on a collective review I submit two measures, one for licensing and one for zoning.”

The amended zoning would restrict the operation of medical marijuana shops to operate in the town’s I-1 or industrial districts on Finnell Drive, Mathewson Drive and Moore Road, according to Planning Director James Clarke.

“At this point, there is no proposed business (marijuana shop) for Weymouth, but we do have the opportunity to regulate these businesses,” Weymouth Health Director Daniel McCormack said.

Planning board member Mary Akoury said she is concerned about the town possibly having three places of operation for medical marijuana shops in Weymouth.

“It is like we are inviting them,” she said.

Akoury said the licensing board under the proposed legislation should only grant one license to a prospective medical marijuana shop owner, and tougher regulations are needed to govern the operation of prospective marijuana shops in Weymouth.

McCormack said the proposal to have three zones for medical marijuana shops was done to avoid creating an uneven competition field for prospective business owners.

Resident Dominic Galluzzo said he couldn’t fathom having three medical marijuana shops.

“Why would we consider allowing three dispensaries, which is equal to the amount of supermarket chains we have in this town?” Galluzzo said.

Resident Mark Kilman said having a police detail would be appropriate outside medical marijuana shops when they are open.

“These drugs can get into the wrong hands,” he said. “We need to start off on the right foot.”

Capt. Rick Fuller said police are getting legal clarifications on how medical marijuana shops can operate.

“We are entering uncharted waters with this law,” he said.

More information in this report are available in the May 21 edition of the Weymouth News.